Sadie (Courtney Summers) Book Review

2018 Reading Challenge

10. Sadie by Courtney Summers

Synopsis:
A missing girl on a journey of revenge. A Serial―like podcast following the clues she's left behind. And an ending you won't be able to stop talking about.
Sadie hasn't had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she's been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.
But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie's entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister's killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him.
When West McCray―a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America―overhears Sadie's story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie's journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it's too late.

My Review:
I received an advanced reader's edition of Sadie before it got published last year and wrote a quick review about over on Goodreads, since I have an account there and those were the instructions. The following is what I wrote:

Compelling and suspenseful until the very end. I fell in love with the style of writing, as it was written in podcast form - a unique idea. I hope there's a sequel because I need to know what happened to Sadie!

I would like to thank Macmillan Publishing, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for sending me the advanced copy of the book, as well as what I was sent in the pictures.

Please feel free to check out my Goodreads page as well.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

~Meg~

Roll with the Punches (Amy Gettinger) Book Review

2018 Reading Challenge

5. Roll With the Punches by Amy Gettinger

Synopsis:
A rollicking, funny chick lit mystery/adventure, full of fun and light romance.
Falling is extra hard on tall people, like Rhonda Hamilton: the bone breakage, the bruises, the ignominy of it all. And Rhonda’s falling, hard. First, how in the heck can the latest novel published by a nationally bestselling author be a close twin to the manuscript Rhonda has just finished writing and has barely started marketing to agents? Plus, why is Dad suddenly acting so odd: storing milk in the garage and throwing away Rhonda’s clothes?
Some goofy roller derby girls add a bludgeon of crazy to Rhonda’s hunt for the book thief, and two drool-worthy guys offer to help with Dad—guys Rhonda would gladly fall for, if her life weren’t careening madly between Dad’s bizarre antics, some treacherous derby bouts, a wild burlesque fundraiser, and the odd mudslide and house demolition. Only one thing is sure: if she wants to nail the wily plagiarist and keep Dad safe, Rhonda had better stay up on her skates to avoid a very big fall.

My Review:
Roll With the Punches is the first book I read this year that I just didn't care for. What drawn me to this book was that Rhonda belonged to a writing critique group. She also gets involved with a roller derby league after she gets noticed roller skating around town. I thought that was different because there's not a lot of books or media out there about the roller derby sport. While I am not a fan of it, I do have a cousin who was on a roller derby league for a couple of years.

The majority of this book revolves around Rhonda trying to figure out who stole her manuscript and made a bestseller out of it. The only people she knows that could have done it was a member of her writing group and she goes on a mission to narrow it down one by one. In the midst of solving that mystery, Rhonda goes through some crazy adventures in not only the search for the person responsible, but also dealing with the antics of roller derby and her dad's odd behaviors. The story is filled with an eclectic bunch of characters, some good, some not so quite.

Roll With the Punches is based heavily on comedy, but it fell short in the overall department. One of the big things that bothered me is the way that Rhonda and her family dealt with her dad's obvious Alzheimer's disease. They acted oblivious and in denial even though it was laid out crystal clear several times, especially when it came to Rhonda. When everything in her life was not going well, Rhonda coped with it the way she normally would any hard situation - with laughter and satire - but it went over the top. There were some good moments, but the concept and plot just didn't work for me.

I'm ending this review with a quote from one of the characters. It's actually said by the doctor who diagnoses the Alzheimer's.

"If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and walks like a duck, we roast it with orange sauce."

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

~Meg~

The Tempting Taste of Danger (CeeCee James) Book Review

2018 Reading Challenge

2. The Tempting Taste of Danger by CeeCee James
    Prompt: book that takes place in a bookstore or library

Synopsis:
The only thing worse than a noisy bookstore is patrons literally dying to get out.
Elise Pepper has landed her dream job at the Capture The Magic book store. Peace and quiet and thousands of books to herself – including a $2m first edition of Alice in Wonderland. What more could she ask for?
It can’t last of course. Her blissful solitude is rudely interrupted when someone turns the second floor of the building into a Down the Rabbit Hole-themed escape room.
But the noise is the least of her worries – what’s worse is the dead bank executive upstairs and the missing first edition. Now Elise is suspected of both theft and murder, even as the killer taunts her with Alice in Wonderland clues. Can she find out who did it before she takes the fall for the crime?

My Review:
A bookstore and an escape room. It sounds like the perfect place for a murder, right? Haha. I love to read, so naturally I fell in in love with a book that takes place somewhat in a book store. And while I have never been to an escape room, I've always liked the idea of them and really want to experience it. I like to solve mysteries and figure out puzzles, so it was another reason I was interested in this book.

Elise gets a job at a bookstore. It's the perfect job for her. Well, at least it is until an escape room is built on the floor upstairs. She isn't a fan of the whole idea. When someone winds up dead in the escape room on the first day it opens and a first edition book goes missing from the book store, Elise knows there's more to the story. It's up to her to prove her innocence as she's the only person who's at the store the most.  This part reminds me of the murder mystery movie series, Murder, She Baked, on the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries channel starring Alison Sweeney and Cameron Mathison. Alison's character works at a cookie shop and is the one who becomes the murder suspect, as she finds the murder victims. The Tempting Taste of Danger will leave you guessing until the end. Some of the supporting characters were just okay, but there were also some good ones. Overall, I was impressed with how the story turned out.

The theme of The Tempting Taste of Danger is Alice in Wonderland. The book store possesses a first edition copy of Alice in Wonderland, the escape room is based on the book, and the murderer leaves clues with references to the book as well. It was a good concept and it was nice to relive the children's classic with some twists and turns along the way. Even if you aren't a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland, you will still enjoy reading this.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

~Meg~

Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn) Book Review

2017 Reading Challenge

28. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
      Prompt: book with an unreliable narrator

Synopsis:

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

My Review:

I saw the movie version of this a couple years ago and of course, I wanted to read the book. Yes, I'm one of those who believes that the book is always better than the movie. There are some rare exceptions, though. I ended up being disappointed and underwhelmed with both. Originally, I was interested in  Gone Girl because of all the hype about it, but I didn't feel that it lived up to the expectations in either version. I will say however that the book was slightly better than the movie.

I did like the aspect of reading from the perspectives of both Nick and Amy. I thought that was a clever idea of Gillian Flynn to incorporate. If it had only been Nick's point of view, it probably would have sufficed. Amy's diary entries were indeed interesting to know what was going on inside her head. It also led me to believe that there was something wrong with her. Could she have had a mental disorder? Maybe so, maybe not. It does take a lot of cleverness and cunning skills to devise your own disappearance and murder, in addition to the clues she left framing Nick. Even though Nick wasn't innocent in all that went on since he started fabricating lies as well, I found myself on his side for the most part. And if there's one thing I learned, it would be not to be evasive or lie to the police or detectives, making you look even more suspicious, like Nick did. 

I liked the concept of the scavenger hunt. You don't usually find a lot of books like that and I thought it was different. Scavenger hunts can be fun while you're figuring out the clues that lead to a great surprise or prize at the end. It obviously wasn't like that in this story since there was a little twist involved. 

Note: I am almost finished with the book reviews for the books that I read in 2017. I believe I only have three or four more to go before I do my 2018 Book Awards for all the books I read last year and before I start posting the book reviews for this year.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

~Meg~

Set Change (T'Gracie and Joe Reese) Book Review

2017 Reading Challenge

21. Set Change by T'Gracie and Joe Reese

Synopsis:

The residents of sleepy little Bay St. Lucy are thrilled to learn that a world class production of Shakespeare's Hamlet is to be done in their town. They are shocked, on the other hand, to experience the leading actor's vicious personality.
Murder will out--and it takes all of Nina Bannister's sleuthing ability to put it back in again.

My Review:

First off, I got this book because I like theatre and have acted in shows before. I am also familiar with Hamlet. 

Set in a small town, everyone is excited that there will be a professional production of Hamlet done in their community. After the production, the lead actor and celebrity is murdered and it's up to amateur sleuth Nina to figure out the case.

It was interesting to see a small community get recognition for once because they are often overlooked by big cities. Unfortunately, it got off to a slow start and I was still left unimpressed throughout the course of the book. There were several times in which I wanted to stop reading it altogether, but I like to finish what I start.

Nina definitely knew her Hamlet and a lot of the lines were used throughout the story. Honestly, I think that was overdone a little bit. I felt it took away from the premise. What I did like about this book was the ending. And not just because it meant I didn't have to read the book anymore. The pace picked up near the end of the story and it became an unexpected finish.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

~Meg~

A Cat to Die For (Maria Grazia Swan) Book Review

2017 Reading Challenge

15. A Cat to Die For by Maria Grazia Swan
     Topic/Prompt: a book with a cat on the cover

Synopsis:

Mina Calvi's new Furry Friends Foundation is a dream come true for the formerly footloose young woman. Her no-kill shelter rescues and places dogs and cats into new forever homes, and it gives Mina a purpose in life.
But changes are looming on a perfect Sunday afternoon at the Dana Point Marina where she is minding the adoption booth.
A Greek heiress, young, petite and beautiful, shows up on the arm of the love of Mina's life, Diego Moran. And worse, she wants to adopt Mina's calico cat, Houdini. The spoiled woman will not take no for an answer. Why is she so insistent on getting Houdini when she already owns a look-alike cat?
When Houdini is cat-napped, the cat-sitter murdered, and the ransom demand sent to the heiress, Mina has to keep her wits about her to get her beloved cat home safely, and to keep her heart from getting broken again by Diego, who inexplicably pops up at every turn of the unfolding drama.

My Review:

This book is considered to be a cozy mystery, but it's slightly different from other cozy mysteries. 

Mina is an Italian American character, the first that I've really read. She puts her heart into everything she does. She does this moreso for cats and dogs with her no kill shelter for rescues. She goes by the philosophy that every cat and dog that are brought in to her foundation shelter deserves to be placed in a permanent home. However, trouble seems to follow her wherever she goes, no matter her intentions. Whether it's a former love of her life who she can't decide if she wants to risk heartbreak again or when her cat gets kidnapped and the sitter winds up getting murdered. 

The whole storyline or plot with Diego was annoying. With that, Mina just plain got on my nerves. However, the mystery plotline turned into something different than I have ever read before. The ending is one you may not have seen coming. It turns into something like a ploy or scheme.

While this book wasn't necessarily my cup of tea, it is ideal for cat lovers. I did appreciate how Maria stressed the importance of no kill animal shelters, as it needs to be talked about. I don't believe that animals should be put down for overcrowding or whatever reason in shelters.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

~Meg~

Missing Melissa (Alretha Thomas) Book Review

2017 Reading Challenge

1. Missing Melissa by Alretha Thomas

Synopsis:
Twenty-two years old with a journalism degree from UCLA and a promising entry level position at a television station, Madeline Patterson is ready to take on the Universe. Raised by two loving parents, adored by her grandmother, protected by her dog, Pepper, and supported by her best friend—Madeline has it all. There’s only one thing missing—literally missing—her identical twin, Melissa.
When Madeline and Melissa were three-years-old, their mother was carjacked in broad daylight while taking them to a doctor’s appointment. She was able to get away with Madeline in tow, but the assailants left the scene before she could rescue Melissa. A long and massive search ensued, but Melissa was never found and is believed to be dead. However, a dream Madeline has on her twenty-second birthday, wherein Melissa appears to her as a grown woman pleading for help, convinces her Melissa is still alive. Against her parents’ wishes, Madeline vows to find her twin. However, in doing so, she unknowingly stumbles upon a series of startling clues that point to her parents’ possible involvement in Melissa’s disappearance. Paralyzed by fear, Madeline doesn’t want to face what could possibly be the ugly and grim truth about her parents. However, her desire to find Melissa propels her forward—but nothing could prepare her for what she discovers.

My Review:

A great mystery filled with surprising twists and turns. Fresh out of college, Maddie is entering the workforce as a promising journalist. It's what she's always wanted, except there's a piece of her life that's missing: her twin sister, Melissa. When they were just three, Melissa went missing and has been presumed dead. Nineteen years later, Maddie starts having dreams of her sister. Everyone else thinks it's strange, but Maddie can't help but wonder if Melissa's been alive all this time. It prompts Maddie to have the police re-open the investigation against the wishes of her family. What she doesn't expect to find are family secrets that may open up new wounds. Is Melissa alive or dead? With many twists and turns along the way, this story will keep you guessing until the very end.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

❤Meg❤

Murder in the South of France Book Review

Writing Tuesday -

2016 Reading Challenge

7. Murder in the South of France by Susan Kiernan-Lewis
    Topic: a murder mystery

Synopsis:
Maggie Newberry is sheltered, privileged but also a whip-smart advertising copywriter who's fast on her feet and a little stunned to realize that she's 34 years old and still hasn't found "the one." When her long-missing sister ends up dead in Maggie's trendy Atlanta condo, Maggie finds herself flying to the south of France to find the little niece that up until then no one in the family even knew existed. Along the way, she finds handsome Laurent Dernier, a sexy if nefarious Frenchman who it's not clear is there to help or hinder Maggie's search for the girl. Meanwhile, her sister's murderer sets his sights on the little girl - and Maggie.

My Review:
I'm going to start this a little different. It's not really a secret, but the synopsis part of my book reviews are the book blurbs (you know the part on the back of a book that sums up what the book's about). Sometimes I'll redo it or what not and sometimes I keep it the way it is. Anyway, the synopsis of this particular book is a little misleading. I didn't want to adjust it because then I'll be basically giving the full story away.

I've got two words to sum up my thoughts: badly written. There were several discrepancies throughout the book, as well as inconsistencies. That combined made the story and plot drag on. I always try to come up with something positive about each book that I read, but I really can't think of anything that was good about Murder in the South of France. Even though the title suggests that most of the story takes place in France, it actually takes place more in Atlanta. I originally chose to read this book for a book that takes places in Europe, but had to change that theory after only reading the first couple of chapters. France isn't really described that well both times that Maggie was actually there - it seemed more fake. I had French in high school and learned a lot more about France than what was not even half decently described in the book. Setting and description are really important to the story, but it was lacking in that department. Choices made by Maggie and other characters were surprising and out of place.

I read this book on my Kindle app. One of the things that I most disliked is that the story ended around 85%. The remaining 15% of the book was a preview for the next book of the series. My problem is that it included four or five chapters before ending in a climax. To me, I want to be sold into a story in the first chapter or two. I did have another book in this series in my library (with Kindle) as well, but there's no way I'm reading it after how horrible this book was. Both were free when I got them and I now understand why.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

Meg

Adventures in Funeral Crashing Book Review

2015 Reading Challenge

43. Adventures in Funeral Crashing by Milda Harris
     Theme/Topic: book written by an author with your same initials

Synopsis:
Kait Lenox has a reputation as the weird girl in her high school, mostly because of her ex-best friend turned mean popular girl, Ariel, but maybe it has a little to do with the fact that Kait has a hobby crashing funerals. At one of these, Kait is outted by the most popular guy in school, Ethan Ripley. Yet, instead of humiliating her for all the world to see, he asks for her help, and Kait finds herself entangled in a murder mystery. Not only is the thrill of the mystery exciting, but more importantly Ethan knows her name! A little sleuthing is well worth that!

My Review:
This was just okay. As the title basically says, Kait likes to crash funerals. She goes for the fun of it and likes to see how many people show up for them. When she ends up getting caught by Ethan (since the funeral is for his sister), Kait is asked to help him figure out what happened. Ethan believes his sister got murdered (which she did) and it turns out that there's more to it than meets the eye. As they investigate her case, more suspicious deaths occur and they're thrown into a whirlwind. It did take me a little while to figure out who was behind them all, but I wasn't super surprised by the ending.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

7th Heaven Book Review

2015 Reading Challenge

42. 7th Heaven by James Patterson
      Theme/Topic: book with a number in the title

Synopsis:
A terrible fire in a wealthy suburban home leaves a married couple dead and Detective Lindsay Boxer and her partner Rich Conklin searching for clues. And after California's golden boy, Michael Campion has been missing for a month, there finally seems to be a lead in his case--a very devastating lead. As fire after fire consume couples in wealthy, comfortable homes, Lindsay and the Murder Club must race to find the arsonists responsible and get to the bottom of Michael Campion's disappearance. But suddenly the fires are raging too close to home. Frightened for her life and torn between two men, Lindsay must find a way to solve the most daunting dilemmas she's ever faced--at work and at home.

My Review:
Another page turner by James Patterson. I've read the previous six books in this series and with each book, it gets better and better. James Patterson does a wonderful job of putting so much action and suspense together to want to keep reading. Not to mention some great twists along the way. I was surprised by the ending with Michael Champion's case and the arsonists were pretty clever.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

Meg

Unleashed Book Review

2015 Reading Challenge

35. Unleashed by Emily Kimelman
      Theme/Topic: book with a one word title

Synopsis:
When the series begins Sydney Rye is named Joy Humbolt. She does not like people telling her what to do, so it comes as no surprise that she was just fired from her last job. When she buys Charlene Miller's dog-walking business on Manhattan's exclusive upper east side, it seems like the perfect fit: Quiet environment, minimal contact with people. But then one of her clients turns up dead, and Charlene disappears. Rumors say Charlene was having an affair with the victim--and of course, everyone assumes Joy must know where she is. Joy begins to look into the crime, first out of curiosity then out of anger when there is another murder and threats start to come her way. When police detective Mulberry is assigned to the case, Joy finds a kindred spirit--cynical and none-too-fond of the human race. As they dig deep into the secrets of Manhattan's elite, they not only get closer to the killer but also to a point of no return. One last murder sends Joy Humbolt hurtling over the edge. Her only chance of survival is to become Sydney Rye.

My Review:
When I came across this book for free from Bookbub, it sounded good. Unfortunately, things aren't always what they seem like at first. That was the way with this. For starters, it was filled with more profanity than could have ever imagined. And yes, there was a warning about that, but certain words were overused.

In short, Joy can't get her life together. Right from the start, we find out that she lost her dog (as well as job) and to deal with that, she adopts an enormous mutt and names him Blue. She reluctantly takes on a job as a dog-walker and is thrown into a world of gossip and such with the other dog-walkers. Joy stumbles across the body of a client and then rumors start up. Since she's kind of considered a suspect by the police (as is the case with anyone who finds a body at first), Joy gets involved in trying to find the killer by investigating on her own. In the meantime she also fools around with one of the detectives. When it starts getting personal and close to home, Joy doesn't let anything get in her way. Without going into detail, at the end Joy has no choice but to change her name to Sydney Rye to run away/go into hiding from the police.

Overall, Unleashed was an example of bad writing in a way. Not to mention that a couple of the plotlines were either out of place or lacked spark. It's safe to say that I won't be reading any more in this series.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

Play Dead Book Review

2015 Reading Challenge

33. Play Dead by Leslie O'Kane
      Theme/Topic: book based entirely on its cover

Synopsis:
Meet Allie Babcock, an intrepid dog therapist with a knack for sleuthing. After Allie Babcock sets up shop in Boulder, her first client is a despondent collie whose previous owner apparently took her own life. But Allie soon suspects murder--and figures her canine client was a witness to the crime. Allie is quickly on the case when a second murder stops her investigation. Before making another move, she counts her enemies: several suspicious dog owners, a violent boyfriend demanding vengeance, and a mysterious door-to-door salesman with a bizarre story to tell. One thing's for certain: All of them deserve a serious once-over--or Allie's own life may be brought to a heel.

My Review:
A great read and mystery involving dogs. It had an assortment of odd characters but made the story unique. Allie is someone who's genuinely great with dogs. I appreciated that one of the characters was afraid of dogs. That hits close to home as I am actually afraid of dogs myself. Without going into too much detail, something happened when I was a child around 8 I think and I haven't been able to get over the fear. Don't get me wrong, though. I happen to like dogs, I just can't stand to be around them and somehow tolerate them when I have no choice but to.

Q: What's your favorite type/breed of dog?

A: My favorite breed is either a golden retriever or a husky.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

Meg